RUGBY FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1932, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

'ABUSES OF SCRUMMAGE. INTERNATIONAL BOARD'S cißtstrtXß. " LONDON, .Septembev 16. : The Rugby has" issued. the. following circular to players and referees: ■ Owing to the non-observance of soifi*principles laid down in the laws, the Board considers,, it necessary ; to iAue this circular, to, players and referebs * i» 'order to retain the spirit and tradition? of jWghy .football. <VM . VY . The%<&rd is. of Jlie Opinion ,that the u ! diifficuities arisflig: especially in and about the scrymmage ~ fire, 'largely, if . not, [ entirely, «Ue to the practice of overispeci’alkation by forwards, such as securing a fixed formation in the sprum. image, which .'leads, among others, to the following abuses • Putting the ball into the .scrummage so as to .allow players to get into (set places ; throwing 'the hall >to'-the Bcrummage with unnecessary. force. ■ T;ie Board is further of the opinion that, a'ince the introduction of fixed formation in the sprupimages, the, standard of forward play in the four Home Unions has seriously deteriorated, and that auch formation is hot,,iV ; the best 1 retort of the. game, or the players thbmselves. Law 15 deals clearly with all the .above-mentioned, abuses, apd tjhe Board dUiref'to 'calil partiQ- lar.. attention to this law and its sub Sub-Sect-ion ;F is in tho following terms : “The player putting "fibe ball. ;into £l ( 'scrum* mage shall stand about 3ft from the scrummage and, With both hands from below the .knee, 'S.ha l ! gently propel the ball-along a line, midway between ana parallel to the lihes'of the feet of the Apphsing ■, fr.ojpt forwards.” Thi s Subsection provides for the malt being put fairly into hibije, the throwing of the ball into by, the half-back with unnecessary force, so that, if it strikes tluji, foot ofi the middle-front row for-, w ard of hvW te&m it is deflected. unfairly ipto the, feet of his own forwards. If r A hall : »'gently pibpelled into the (scrupuhage the elffect would :be to limit 'the Ippssib'ilitiea ,pf rebounds frpui players’ Megs and induce the honest scrummaging, which seems to have become a lost : art. offending team-For persistent offences. ..'player inupt be Ordered off the playing (encLoauie. . .• si

lowing’ shall be . put into; a scrummage without delay. In accordances 'with F- and . G the jua}' should not he -delayed -to -aflow-’.played to! get-into-siset.y places. Penalty—-penalty-kick against . the , offending team. For persistent., offences player jgust be. ordered off the playing enclosure.” ' ~r ■ -YY- --Y %

Uawi IS,'- sub-section'' J, is in tlie .following .terms,; “No player , in. a ..scrummage, shall raise a foot off the- ground., Or advance - either ’ .foot ..beyond the, line of feet of his -front-row forward until the hallfairly in.,the scrum-. mc-gCj and., the first three- feet of .-the front-row forwards of reach . - team .on the.sidg on .wlhich the-, ball is.being put in shall .not be so raised or advanced until the ball has passed them. Penalty —pfenalty-kick . against: the offending .team. For, .persistent, 'offences,:, offend- . ingi player . must be ordered off the playing enclosure.” <> V' ; REFEREES AT EAULT. The. Board has . noted. that, during the past season, many, referees, ignored •the: .above mjJ)%ctiqn, ' by... permitting ..players to..lift their feet before the .bali was fairly, in the. scrummage. This , particularly •, refers to, thfi.. practice of players in, front ro.ws.on. the side, in A^fiffich, the ball’ is , being putin lifting their. outside feet,' and .'following the ball into tho scrummage before it bad. passed |he first, three feet of the frontrow, fprwards of each team on . the side on which the .-ball is being put in. . The failure of referees generally to inflict the ~ and to, , stop these .illegal practices is, in the opinion, of the Board, A detrimental to the propel playing of ; t-h« game. / . Th e ball must nofc be touched before it (.has reached the far foot of ,the middle man of the'front ro-w. The Aiflifldle man! .must not touch the.bal. before % is TaErly in the scrummage and, has passed both feet of a. player of each team.. / Sub-section Mis i n the following terms:—-“Except as provided /by Law ■ 25 (b), no player shall handle the bal'd in- a scrummage, or pick ,up the billl in a scrummage, by hands or legs, or intentionally fall or kneel in a scrommaga. The practice of players, ''falling down or knceling in a scrummage hag, become very prevalent, and referees are urged strictly, to enforce th e ; penalty. Penalty—penalty kick against the offending team. For pereistpnt offences, player must be ordered off the playing enclosure.

OVER-SPECIALISATION - . :., ■... 1 ~ ...... ’ generally considered .thity (the majority of,, infringeiuents and delays occur at. the (scrummage. The difficulty of getting the ball into ,th<? ecrummage has always been cap., of the of modern • times for players and referees, but if the. . law dealing with putting, fbe ba11,,, fairly into, a scrummage.. i*. strictly . enforced, Scrummaging for possession will take the place of tjie present scheming, and the return to th 6 former practice, of any forwards btjjirg, able to. take . any position ; in. a scrummage immediately he gets , there be- a distinct' gain to the .game. .V,,; The Board i» .ponyUiced • that the practice of' .hashed to a serious ; deterioration,;in forward The.' modem miscohceptioh ~of

.the! Jaws, has been to limit, a.nd ~reduce the scope and possibilities of, forward play. Owing to this, practice, there isvery litt! e .- appreciation by a forward jaccustomed to playing in one position,«,of the duties of those playing in other positions, and isuch appreciation,.is, t 0 efficient working; the. ~

, T|ie Boaird strongly urges,, that, so far; as {‘possible, th e practice of limiting, a -player's -activities tPj-.-onei particular poptjon should be discontinued, and. it '.particularly emphasises the importance, of a.-course in . the case of schoolboys. The Board is convinced that thpi pld j principle of first up, first down, should bo revived in order not only to( .cultivate the qualities of grit and determination, but also .to discover the most promising material and to jmpreps on that . material , the .importance o,f genuine scrummaging -and. of keeping* on the ball in open play.